How do you say “Between a rock and a hard place” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is zwischen zwei Übeln wählen müssen, which literally means “to have to choose between two evils”. English speakers use between a rock and a hard place to mean to choose between two bad options. A clear choice for two bad options. It doesn't need the rock image. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
zwischen zwei Übeln wählen müssen
/ˈtsvɪʃn̩ tsvaɪ ˈyːbl̩n ˈvɛːlən ˈmʏsn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to have to choose between two evils”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Übel” here means a bad outcome, not necessarily moral evil. The phrase suits a choice where leaving causes one problem and staying causes another.
“In einer Zwickmühle stecken” is a familiar alternative. “Zwischen Hammer und Amboss” puts more emphasis on pressure from two opposing sides.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
zwischen Hammer und Amboss sein
Literally: “to be between hammer and anvil”
Especially apt when two opposing sides exert pressure.
in einer Zwickmühle stecken
Literally: “to be stuck in a double mill (a trap in a board game)”
A familiar way to describe being stuck between bad choices.
In context
English
I'm between a rock and a hard place: I can't afford the repairs or a replacement.
German
Ich muss zwischen zwei Übeln wählen: Ich kann mir weder die Reparatur noch einen Ersatz leisten.
English
She was between a rock and a hard place, caught between her family and her employer.
German
Sie steckte zwischen ihrer Familie und ihrem Arbeitgeber in einer Zwickmühle.
Related expressions
- What “Between a rock and a hard place” means in English
- On thin ice, In a risky situation close to trouble.
- The best of both worlds, Enjoying the benefits of two different things at once.
Last updated 2026-09-16